Chapter - 5909

In the final hour before dawn, Wesley guided the last group of individuals out of the food factory. Charlie instructed him to lock the door from the outside, leaving only himself and Jack inside the vast facility.

Jack surveyed the site, now returned to its original condition, and couldn’t help but let out a sigh. "Mr. Wade, the efficiency and execution of those cavalry guards and the dead soldiers are astonishing. Even standing here now, it’s hard to believe that over 10,000 people were here just a short while ago."

Charlie nodded, also sighing, and replied, "Their efficiency and execution have been refined through centuries of enslavement."

After that, Charlie exhaled deeply and said, "Let’s not dwell on this. Inspector Lee has been busy for several days; it’s time for a break. I’ll keep watch to see if the factory director arrives today."

Having worked tirelessly for several days with little rest, Jack felt a sense of relief now that everyone had evacuated; he recognized his exhaustion. "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Wade. I think I’ll take a short nap."

"It's fine," Charlie reassured him. "You can rest without worry. I’ll handle everything here."

After that, Charlie directed Jack to go to the factory director’s office while he himself exited the building. He settled on the ground beneath the awning by the warehouse, which shielded trucks from the rain. There, he continued to practice hand seals, drawing in reiki while also releasing some to stay attuned to his surroundings.

For the past few days, Charlie had utilized any spare moment to practice his hand seals, causing the reiki within him to accumulate more and more. He intended to transfer all this reiki into the ring Maria had given him once he reached his limit, hoping to discover something new.

Soon enough, the sky began to brighten.

Jack slept soundly as time flew by while Charlie meditated.

In what felt like an instant, it was already noon.

At that moment, Charlie noticed movement in the distance—the factory director's car was approaching.

A smile crept onto his lips as he returned to the factory and headed toward the director’s office.

Just then, Jack awoke, having enjoyed a restful seven or eight hours of sleep. As he opened the door and spotted Charlie, he immediately inquired, "Mr. Wade, what’s going on?"

Charlie replied with a grin, "The director has arrived."

Jack raised his eyebrows with a smile. "Seems like he’s quite eager."

Charlie remarked, "Let’s go, Inspector Lee. He’ll likely notice that the gate is locked from the outside and may attempt to climb in to figure out what’s happening."

"Alright," Jack agreed with a smile as he followed Charlie, climbing out directly over the low back wall.

At the same time, the director parked his car outside the gate. Exiting the vehicle, he noticed the gate was locked from the outside and felt a wave of confusion wash over him.

In his mind, even if the factory hadn’t begun renovations yet, Jack shouldn’t have locked up and left at noon. Moreover, during his last visit, he had noted that, despite construction not starting, several of his men were still present. Even if Jack had urgent matters, he should have at least left someone behind.

After hesitating for a moment, the director pulled out his mobile phone and called Jack, reflecting on their previous conversation. He had sensed that Jack was likely encountering funding issues during their last meeting. Although Jack had mentioned that these financial troubles would be resolved within three to five days, it was concerning that work hadn’t commenced, and the staff had evacuated—it made the situation feel amiss.

The phone number Jack had provided was turned off. He called out several times at the gate but received no response, deepening his unease.

Raising his voice, he shouted, "Is anyone there? Mr. Lee, are you in there?"

After a few shouted attempts with no reply, he angrily pounded on the lock of the fence door several times but still heard nothing from within.

The factory director couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding, feeling as though something significant was about to unfold.

Without hesitation, he clambered over the iron gate, clumsily making his way to the other side. Ignoring the dirt that marred his clothes, he dashed straight into the factory.

Still anxious about the potential appearance of Jack or his men, he called out, "Mr. Lee, is everything okay? I came to check on you. If you’re here, please don’t misunderstand me!"

As he shouted, he ventured deeper into the factory.

Inside, the equipment lay dismantled, as if the disassembly had abruptly halted. There were no workers to be found, and nothing unusual stood out in the environment.

He scanned the area and couldn’t help but ponder, "Where did that guy disappear to? Did the work pause temporarily, or did he simply bolt?"

Charlie and Jack had just witnessed the director climb over the gate and enter. Charlie turned to Jack and asked, "Inspector Lee, what do you think he’ll do next?"

Jack responded, "If he can’t reach me, he’ll definitely come looking every day. When he realizes I might not return, he may start considering taking over the project again."

Charlie agreed, saying, "In that case, I feel the situation may become uncontrollable. It’s better to contact him directly and explain that you have an emergency back in China and won’t return for one or two months, but assure him that you will definitely be back before the deadline."

Then Charlie added, "You should handle the tone of your message so he believes you might be in serious trouble and could be delayed in your return."

"Understood," Jack replied. "I’ll aim to have him recommence production by tomorrow."

With that, he promptly turned on his phone and called the factory director.

At that point, the factory director was inside the facility, bewildered by Jack's sudden disappearance. When he received a call from Jack, a sinking feeling pressed down on him. He anxiously scanned his surroundings, fearing Jack might unexpectedly appear.

Noting the absence of anyone nearby, he picked up the phone and forced a smile. "Hey, Mr. Lee, I just tried to reach you, but your phone was off. What’s going on?"

Jack replied, "I have an urgent matter that requires me to return to China. There are no direct flights from Casablanca, so I have to transfer in Cairo. I just landed. What did you want to discuss?"

While somewhat disappointed, the factory director noticed that Jack’s voice carried a sense of urgency and distraction. He quickly pressed on, "Mr. Lee, why did you leave before renovations commenced? When will your partner’s funding come in?"

Irritated, Jack responded, "Why the rush? Our contract clearly states the timeline. I only need to pay your final installment within two months. You don’t need to worry about when work will resume."

The factory director promptly clarified, "You’ve misunderstood, Mr. Lee. I’m not pushing you for the final payment or worried that you won’t pay. I’m concerned about you. Those workers have taken your money and gone on vacation. If you’re not back in two months, they’ll be left with nothing to do and certainly won’t wait for you. You can’t keep paying their wages indefinitely. Once renovations are complete, finding skilled workers will take time. Don’t you think that could pose a problem?"

Jack replied curtly, "I understand. You don’t have to fret about my situation. I might not return for a month this time, and I’ll absorb the loss, but I assure you I’ll settle the balance before the contract expires."

Without waiting for the director’s response, he concluded, "I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll sign off for now."

With that, Jack hung up without further discussion.

The factory director’s mind raced; a mix of thoughts flashed through him. "Could he really not return in a month? Is he in serious trouble? He left without trying to cancel the contract or request the refund of $100,000, which indicates he still has some hope. But from his tone, it seems likely he’s in a tight spot. Maybe he can’t pay the balance, and when he does finally come back, it’ll be to ask for the $100,000 refund."

His gaze wandered to the equipment around him, and he felt a surge of excitement. "Who cares? The factory is idle, and I've already paid the workers' wages. I can just call them back to work! If Mr. Lee can’t recover the funds after two months and seeks a refund, I’ll outlast him. If I succeed, I won’t return the $100,000. If he insists on pursuing legal action, I’ll wait until the court finds in my favor before returning that amount. Even if I do give back the $100,000, it’s essentially a free $100,000 for me! The key is that I can start production immediately, and since he’s already covered the workers' wages, the past month or two could yield a profit! I’m truly fortunate!"

With those thoughts in mind, he sprinted out, clumsily climbed the wall again, and as soon as he got into his car, he didn’t drive away. Instead, he forcibly knocked open the chain lock on the door and immediately called his foreman, ordering, "Tell everyone to end their vacation and return to the factory immediately!"

The foreman, surprised, asked, "Boss, didn’t you grant us paid leave?"

"Forget the salary!" the factory director snapped in anger. "You think you can take the money and not work? Hurry up and come back, or you’ll have to return all the cash I advanced to you!"